Follow these tips for back-to-school shopping

Tuesday

Back to school: Teachers’ advice on what to do before the school year begins

School supplies

Elementary school

Follow the class list. Go onto your school’s website or check your big box stores and grocery stores to see if the lists are there. Don’t deviate. If the teachers have designated a particular brand, it’s because they know that brand is of good quality. They’ve experimented with others and been disappointed.

Don’t personalize. Many elementary school teachers have kids deposit all of their supplies in big bins by type of item. Don’t write your child’s name on it or get fancy with a specific notebook. Imagine the meltdown when your child realizes that the unicorn notebook has been given to someone else in the class. Save special items for lunch boxes or backpacks or items they are going to keep at home. Do label those lunch boxes, backpacks and any jacket they might bring to school.

Buy extra supplies to keep at home. We often think of the official class list, but what about the homework and projects that get done at home. This is a great time to stock up on printer paper, printer ink, notebook paper, extra composition books, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, rulers, erasers, scissors, glue sticks, staples, construction paper and white poster board. This helps cut down on the late-night run for supplies when the project is due the next day.

Middle school and high school

These are tricky lists because you won’t receive them until the first time they attend a class and each teacher wants something different. Check the school website to see if there are recommendations. Ask parents of kids a year or two older than yours about what their kids needed for that grade. Ask specifically if kids use lockers for school, PE or band, etc., and what kind of lock they can use.

A lot of guessing will be done before school starts, but these are items that you probably could buy in advance for school and at home:

College-ruled notebook paper

College-ruled spiral notebooks

College-ruled composition books

Folders with pockets and brads

Binders in 1 inch and 2 inch widths

Colored pencils

Pencils

Pens

Erasers

Rulers

Glue sticks

Scissors

Graphing calculator if they are taking Algebra or higher math (Hack: These calculators can be expensive — $80-$100 for a good one. Many parents of kids who have flown off to college or are no longer in higher-level math have these sitting around and would love to give them to you.)

Bring your patience. Every year there is a particular item on some teacher’s list that no one would have guessed in advance and seems to be sold out at every store the first week of school. Also note, most teachers will give you at least a week before you have to have all of your supplies. As long as you send a kid with paper and pencil, all should be fine.

Extra tip: When the school supply section at Target or Walmart is decimated on the second day of school, check out a drug store like Walgreens or CVS or a dollar store. They often still have supplies. Not finding anything? Order online and save yourself more aggravation.

Shop for the teacher

Teachers always need more than the class list they supply. And, they often run out of items in their classroom by January.

Here are some things you could stock up on throughout the year to give your teachers:

Printer paper

Printer ink (if you know what kind they use)

Pencils

Pens

Glue sticks

Dry erase markers

Tissue

Hand sanitizer

Cleaning wipes for desks and tables

Gift cards for big box stories to buy supplies

Clothing

Before you shop, do an inventory. Assess last year’s clothing to see if it still fits or has stood the test of time.

Consider growth. Buy one size up for anything that needs to last past October if your child is still growing.

Go for comfort over cute. Can they wear those clothes on the playground? Are those shoes comfortable to walk the middle-school hall?

Don’t forget about PE or extracurricular activities. What shoes and clothing will they need for those?

Pay attention to your school district’s dress code. If your district is still measuring shorts and skirt lengths or outlawing spaghetti straps, pick things that won’t get your kids sent home.

Backpacks

Go for functional. Boy those cute sequined animal backpacks and lunch boxes are cute, but picture a thousand sequins coming off one by one all year long. Choose something sturdy rather than shiny. Consider how well it’s made if you want something that will last the whole year.

Find the right size. It should not go below your child’s waist. Also a bag that is too large becomes an opportunity to overfill it. Look for a bag that is large enough to carry what they need to bring, but not so large that they are packing the house and bringing it to school.

Choose one that is designed for the back. Look for it to have a padded back and two wide shoulder straps. A strap that goes across the chest can also help get weight off the back.

Worry about weight. The bag itself should be light.

Lunch boxes

Consider size. Choose ones that are large enough for all their nutritional needs, but not so large to be unwieldy. Can it fit inside the backpack, or will they carry it separately or attach it with a carabiner?

Consider insulation. Can you put an ice pack inside without it sweating to the outside? It will be hot for months of the school year and not all schools are well air-conditioned for safe food storage.

Consider durability. Is it made to last? Is it easy to clean? Will you be looking for a new bag in January because this one is just gross or falling apart?

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